News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-02-17
A CHAPTER ON CELERY.
Easiest and Best WAY TO Raise and
stare the PaIatnbIe aud HeaIIhfuI
Plant.

Having had considerable experience
in growing and storing celery for family
use, and tried nearly all the manipula-
lions recommended for bleaching it, l
must say with w. G. W. that | have
found nothing that like so well for use
on q limited scale as tiles. They cause
it to blanch beautifully, free from rust
or rot, and fit to eat, the punches COM
ing from the tiles so clean. But having
used both a single inch round, and
two 2-inch horseshoe tiles for this pur-
pose, like the horseshoe tiles and two
pieces much the best; they are more
easily applied, cost less, and by using
piece OF paper for wrapping about them
before tying, the darkening IS perfect
and the blanching could not be better.
But, by the way. could never see that
blanching added anything to the flavor
of celery; rich soil, good cultivation
and plenty of water, giving rapid
growth, is what insures the finest flavor.
But while ''tiling" works splendidly on
a small scale, as on few rows for early
use, it is hardly practicable for extended
culture even for family use, because of
the great amount of handling and haul
ing of tiles twice a year and the expense
of breakage. Besides this, with celery
intended for winter use, blanching is
unnecessary; if it is merely 'handled"
once or twice, so as to keep it straight
and ''close headed" with plenty of
tender heart, the bIanching comes per
fectly after it is stored for winter. My
way of preparing the land and raising
celery for family use is the easiest and
best have ever seen tried and the won,
der is that everybody has not ''got onto
it,.
The celery z',rrc'I1iti ss early in spring
as possible, is marked out with two
horses and large pillow, by making
dead burrows as deep as two burrows
can make them where each row of celery
is to be planted. These are filled with
manure and the blowing reversed so
that the manure is covered up and the
land left in ridges. The land is then
narrowed at intervals, so that by the
latter part of May it is quite level, when
it is plowed with one horse and
small pillow, this time into lands or beds
SO as TO have the dead furrow come eX-
actly in the manure that was buried and
where the celery is to be planted. II
thought best more manure is scattered
into the furrSTs and worked in with
corn cultivator, narrowed up" as
close as it will work we'll. Once again
in two. or three weeks it is plowed in
the same way and having the furrow
come in the same place. By this re-
peated blowing with the one horse
plow and in the same way the ground
is made mellow and the manure mixed
in very deeply just where the plants are
to grow, and it is wonderful how this
deep rich bed holds moisture if the sea-
son should happen to be dry. From
this time on until the planting season
the cultivator or one-horse harrow
should be run often enough to prevent
all weed growth and to fine and mellow
the soil, but all cultivation should be
of the row so as to fill the
burrows as little as possible. I have
found log Is inches in diameter and
p to 3 feet long drawn through these
burrows a wonderfully effective improve
nent to pulverize the soil and mix in
manure.
When ready to plant, the valleys or
burrows will be found about six inches
% er than the ridges between; very
,ich, fine mellow and usually we'll moist
sned. The plants should be set in
shallow burrows made in the bottom of
.hese depressions.